How long do Article III federal judges serve?

How long do Article III federal judges serve?

• A. Life terms during good behavior.
• B. 8-14 year terms
• C. 20 year terms
• D. During the governor's term

Answer: (A)

Federal judges appointed under Article III hold their offices for life, during good behavior. That means they serve for life unless they are removed through impeachment and conviction. This lifetime tenure protects judicial independence from political pressure, allowing judges to decide cases impartially without worrying about reappointment or political backlash. In practice, judges may retire or take senior status and continue to hear cases part-time, but their official appointment remains for life unless impeachment removes them. Impeachment and removal require a majority in the House and a two-thirds vote in the Senate. The other options don’t fit because fixed terms—whether 8-14 years or 20 years—or serving only during someone else’s term (like a governor’s) do not describe Article III federal judges.

Federal judges appointed under Article III hold their offices for life, during good behavior. That means they serve for life unless they are removed through impeachment and conviction. This lifetime tenure protects judicial independence from political pressure, allowing judges to decide cases impartially without worrying about reappointment or political backlash.

In practice, judges may retire or take senior status and continue to hear cases part-time, but their official appointment remains for life unless impeachment removes them. Impeachment and removal require a majority in the House and a two-thirds vote in the Senate.

The other options don’t fit because fixed terms—whether 8-14 years or 20 years—or serving only during someone else’s term (like a governor’s) do not describe Article III federal judges.